For a warrior like Paul Chapman, the game against Casey in the VFL on Sunday was all about getting through the first grueling test on his body after a long layoff from competitive football.

Chapman spoke to geelongcats.com.au after the game about his frustrations during recovery, as well as his burning ambition to play on for the Cats next season.

“Hopefully this is the start of me getting fit, hopefully getting back in the one’s,
and playing finals footy,” said Chapman post match.

“Casey are a hard team at the footy, and that is probably what I needed.”

“I did a bit over ten kilometers, it was a heavy track too which probably put a bit more
strain on the legs but I am feeling good. A little bit sore but it is good to feel this kind of match soreness.”

Chapman begun to work his way into the game as the day wore on, further influencing contests
and creating a magic run on goal along the boundary from the fifty arc during the third quarter.

Getting through a tough match also builds confidence in his body according to Chappy.

“I’ve been training hard for five weeks and then had a little setback, so you think ‘jeez, what's going to happen when I really need to go in a game’, and that happened today- I got through so I am really happy,” he said.

“It has been a big tick with a good win where our boys played really well.”

The road to recovery was not an easy one for Chapman, who came very close to playing
in the VFL on prior occasions.

“All in all it has been 15 or 16 weeks, you know, it has been frustrating,” he said.

“Frustrating because of all of the hard work I did during the pre-season. I was fit and I was flying and I started off the season really well,”

Chapman believes if he can stay on top of his injuries he can return to the form that
will hopefully see him play on for the Cats, stating his intention to “go around again” next season.

Part of the reason Chapman is willing himself on to continue playing, is the quality
of the players coming up into the AFL side through Geelong's VFL program.

“I think they are learning the right way and they want to learn and be good players,” Chapman said of his young counterparts.

“I mean whenever someone speaks they listen and that's the most exciting thing for me is they want to be better, and make their own destiny at the Geelong Footy club.”

“If I can play again with them next year that would be great.”

Chapman firmly believes that the current crop of young stars being artfully molded by Coach Matthew Knights and his coaching staff is the equal of the famous 2002 premiership side that yielded legends like  Gary Ablett Jr, Jimmy Bartel, Josh Hunt, Steve Johnson,
James Kelly and of course Paul Chapman himself.  

“It would be interesting to get the ‘02 team against this team- it would be a great game I reckon,” Chappy said.  

Interestingly enough, the ‘02 premiership was the last fully fledged appearance in the VFL for Paul Chapman, practice matches aside.